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Posted by TIMERNST on February 20, 2008 at 10:45 PM
Here is my best shot of the night so far - what did everyone else get?
Posted by Dale Edsen on February 20, 2008 at 10:51 PM
I don't know, I think the background is kind of busy.
Posted by Rob Graham on February 20, 2008 at 10:59 PM
Beautiful in its simplicity :), it would match what I would end up with if I wanted to brave the bitter cold and wind
Posted by Wayne Rhodus on February 21, 2008 at 12:00 AM
This looks just like the inside of my lens cap ... which is as close as I got.
Posted by Tim Buchanan on February 21, 2008 at 12:15 AM
I think you need to crop in from the right a bit and maybe boost the contrast. Other than that, it's a pretty good picture - couldn't have done better myself. Hmmmm - reminds me of a certain waterfall shot you have...
Posted by Mary Dempsey on February 21, 2008 at 12:54 AM
What a great shot! I have to say all of your terrific critiques are truely ones that a beginner can learn from.
Posted by Bill Dark on February 21, 2008 at 1:18 AM
Just got back from MO, went as far as Lebanon where the clouds didn't look any better as far as I could see to the east. But I just checked weather.com and I should have gone on to Rolla. I think I might have had a clear view until 10:00 or so.
Hey Don, did you get any shots?
Posted by TIMERNST on February 21, 2008 at 2:00 AM
Bill - your trip reminds me of one I took many moons ago to get a lunar photo. It was in the middle 1990's, and I was working high in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming for the forest service. My job for the entire summer was simply to hike and take photos (and do a little flyfishing along the way). At the end of the summer I compiled a maintenance log for all of the trails in the Popo Agia Wilderness Area, complete with photos of all the bad spots (and a few trout). I went on a series of ten-day tours where I would go out and be up in the high country backpacking for ten days at a stretch, then come down for four days, then back in again for ten more.
Anyway, someone had told me about this place called Gunsight Notch - it was along the continental divide, and was a "V" notch in the craggy ridgeline that was pretty deep. Without ever having laid eyes on it I saw an image in my mind that I hoped would grace the cover of a new guidebook I was working on that summer - a full moon setting low in that notch with the divide all aglow at sunrise. Mind you I had only heard of this spot, never even seen a photo of it.
My long lens at the time was a Nikon 300 2.8, big and heavy - I would need a long lens to get the moon large enough since I figured I would have to shoot a wide angle lens of the notch itself, then would double-expose the moon in the scene. I ended up spending two very long days and three nights getting this photo.
Since it was a long tough hike into the area where I heard the notch was, I decided to not pack the big lens in with me but instead shoot a photo of the moon on night one, which I did during one of my four-day weekends when the moon was full. So on night #1, I set up a tripod at the campground with the big lens and my Nikon F2s, and took a single exposure of the moon. Before I did this I had to guess at what the notch actually looked like and what the shape was, then I drew an outline of the notch on the ground glass of my focusing screen inside the camera - I placed the moon at just the right spot in the notch and fired off my single shot, using a "sunny 11" rule and hoping it would work!
Early the next morning I headed into the high country towards Gunsight Notch, and son of a gun, when I arrived there later that afternoon it looked exactly as it had been described to me, with a perfect sharp notch with plenty of blue sky showing through. I set up camp, found the perfect spot for my composition, and waited for sunset. At some point I also caught a fat golden trout for dinner.
OK, the sun lit up the notch right on cue and I took not one, but two photos, bracketing 1/2 f-stop. The first shot was a double-exposure with the moon photo that I had taken the night before, and the second shot would be used as a double-exposure with a shot of the moon at a different exposure that I hoped to take on night #3. I roasted my fat golden trout and felt pretty darn good.
Early the next morning I headed out of the high country and back down to my big lens. And then clouds moved in, just like tonight. We didn't have the weather channel back then so I simply headed off down the highway as dark settled in and drove like crazy until I found a break in the clouds - more than 100 miles away from my campsite!
And there beside the highway on night #3 I made my second exposure of the moon. So it took me three days and two long hikes but I got two double-exposed shots of the full moon setting right in Gunsight Notch while alpenglow lit up the peaks all around. I held my breath as I sent off the Velvia to be processed - not knowing if I got either exposure right, or either of the features where they should be in the frame, and worried about the film being damaged during processing - and then anxiously ripped open the box of slides then they arrived. Both photos were great!
Well, I got to spend a lot more time up in that wilderness hiking and fishing and taking photos and getting paid a lot of money by uncle sam to do them all, but I never did finish that guidebook, nor have I ever done anything with the photo - in fact I don't have a clue where they are! Hum, I must go digging in the warehouse one of these days and see what I can find.
Tim, I love to hear these kinds of stories. And I think you should do some digging to find those photos.
By the way, I am pretty sure that the picture you posted is of the underground waterfall at Lost Valley.
Posted by Bill Dark on February 21, 2008 at 6:48 AM
That's quite a story, Tim! At least your efforts weren't for naught...you got the shots. As for me, well, I debated whether or not to even post my "adventure" last night. But it gets even better...guess what I saw as I looked up in the sky as I rolled back into Rogers? Hint: it wasn't a bird nor plane. @#!**#*^#! weather channel!!!!! I keep telling myself that I probably wouldn't have seen the moon if I had stayed at home, and will probably puke if any of my students tell me how great the eclipse was last night.
Posted by Merle Cook on February 21, 2008 at 9:18 AM
We had a clear sky last night and a beautiful view of the moon. However, our high was 14 and the wind was blowing. Being a whoos, I stayed inside where it was warm and opted to see the great shots by other members of the board. I like yours Tim. The subtle nuances of texture and the soft focus enhance the mystery of the shot. That is a shot...Right???????
Posted by TIMERNST on February 21, 2008 at 10:32 AM
You caught me Dominic - it is the same shot. When that waterfall guidebook was being printed the first time they called me to say that a photo was missing - one on page 44. I asked them what the caption said underneath it - "Waterfall inside Eden Falls Cave, with natural lighting." I asked them what they thought a waterfall inside a cave with natural lighting should look like, and they finally got it.
Discussion
11 repliesHey Don, did you get any shots?
Anyway, someone had told me about this place called Gunsight Notch - it was along the continental divide, and was a "V" notch in the craggy ridgeline that was pretty deep. Without ever having laid eyes on it I saw an image in my mind that I hoped would grace the cover of a new guidebook I was working on that summer - a full moon setting low in that notch with the divide all aglow at sunrise. Mind you I had only heard of this spot, never even seen a photo of it.
My long lens at the time was a Nikon 300 2.8, big and heavy - I would need a long lens to get the moon large enough since I figured I would have to shoot a wide angle lens of the notch itself, then would double-expose the moon in the scene. I ended up spending two very long days and three nights getting this photo.
Since it was a long tough hike into the area where I heard the notch was, I decided to not pack the big lens in with me but instead shoot a photo of the moon on night one, which I did during one of my four-day weekends when the moon was full. So on night #1, I set up a tripod at the campground with the big lens and my Nikon F2s, and took a single exposure of the moon. Before I did this I had to guess at what the notch actually looked like and what the shape was, then I drew an outline of the notch on the ground glass of my focusing screen inside the camera - I placed the moon at just the right spot in the notch and fired off my single shot, using a "sunny 11" rule and hoping it would work!
Early the next morning I headed into the high country towards Gunsight Notch, and son of a gun, when I arrived there later that afternoon it looked exactly as it had been described to me, with a perfect sharp notch with plenty of blue sky showing through. I set up camp, found the perfect spot for my composition, and waited for sunset. At some point I also caught a fat golden trout for dinner.
OK, the sun lit up the notch right on cue and I took not one, but two photos, bracketing 1/2 f-stop. The first shot was a double-exposure with the moon photo that I had taken the night before, and the second shot would be used as a double-exposure with a shot of the moon at a different exposure that I hoped to take on night #3. I roasted my fat golden trout and felt pretty darn good.
Early the next morning I headed out of the high country and back down to my big lens. And then clouds moved in, just like tonight. We didn't have the weather channel back then so I simply headed off down the highway as dark settled in and drove like crazy until I found a break in the clouds - more than 100 miles away from my campsite!
And there beside the highway on night #3 I made my second exposure of the moon. So it took me three days and two long hikes but I got two double-exposed shots of the full moon setting right in Gunsight Notch while alpenglow lit up the peaks all around. I held my breath as I sent off the Velvia to be processed - not knowing if I got either exposure right, or either of the features where they should be in the frame, and worried about the film being damaged during processing - and then anxiously ripped open the box of slides then they arrived. Both photos were great!
Well, I got to spend a lot more time up in that wilderness hiking and fishing and taking photos and getting paid a lot of money by uncle sam to do them all, but I never did finish that guidebook, nor have I ever done anything with the photo - in fact I don't have a clue where they are! Hum, I must go digging in the warehouse one of these days and see what I can find.
By the way, I am pretty sure that the picture you posted is of the underground waterfall at Lost Valley.